Biochemistry Flashcards
Carbohydrates/ Lipids/ Protein Synthesis/ Nucleic Acid
Types of organic macromolecules in living organisms
- Carbohydrates (monomers)
- Lipids (polymers)
- Protein (monomers)
- Nucleic Acid (monomers)
Monomers
Small molecules
Polymers
Large molecules made of many monomers.
Dehydration Synthesis
Build a polymer by adding a monomer.
In the process, it releases a water molecule.
Hydrolysis
Break a polymer into a monomer.
Water molecule is added to new molecules.
Carbohydrate traits
- Energy storage
- Structural
- Signaling
- Hydrophilic
Monosaccharides
Are the monomers of all carbohydrates.
They’re composed of:
* 3 - 7 Carbons
* Same # of oxygen
* 2x as many Hydrogends
Typically form rings + taste sweet
ex: Glucose + Fructose
Disaccharides
2 monosaccharides as a molecule that often taste sweet.
ex: Sucrose = table sugar
2 glucose and 1 fructose
Polysaccharides
What are they + ones covered in class
Molecules of many monosaccharides.
* Starch - not made by humans, made by plants, a major form of E in the human diet
* Glucogen - made by humans, used to store E, in liver and tissue cells
* Other polysaccharides are used for structure and signaling
Lipid traits
- Lots of C + H
- Hydrophobic (Many hydrophobic chemicals that can turn into each other)
- Non-monomer
- Used for: E storage, Signaling, Insulation + cushioning
- Located in the Plasma membrane
Fatty Acids
are the simplest form of lipid.
If it has a long C-H chain = hydrophobic
If there’s a small carboxyl on top = hydrophilic
Saturated
fat
- No double bond
- Solid at room temp
- Less healthy - can clog vessels
- Comes from animals
Unsaturated
fats
- Some double bonds
- Liquid at room temp
- More healthy
- Comes from plants
Trans
fats
- Double bonds are going in the wrong direction
- Worse than saturated
- Comes from an artificial process
Triglycerides
- 1 glycerol (3 carbon sugar) + 3 fatty acids
- E storage in fat cells + liver
- Many types of cells in the body
Phosophilipids
MAJOR part of plasma membrane
* 2 Hydrophobic tails + hydrophilic head (contains P) making it Amphiphilic.
Amphiphilic
Molecule has hydrophobic + hydrophilic parts
Steroids
Lipid with 4 carbon rings.
Steroid hormones
Chemicals that signal whole body
Protein traits
- Do stuff
- Generate movement
- Control chemical reactions (enzymes)
- Structural
- Move things across membranes
- Signaling + receptors (detect other chemical signals)
- Composed of long chain amino acids connected by peptide bonds.
Amino Acids
Definition + traits
Are the monomers of proteins.
1. Amino group NH3+ (hydrophilic)
2. Carboxyl group CO2- (hydrophilic)
3. Central C (hydrophilic) attached to other 4 parts
4. Side chain
* 20 types of AA w/ a different side chain giving it different chemical properties which affects how the AA works.
Peptide bonds
attach 2 amino acids together.
* Amino group of one connected to carboxyl group of another
* example of Dehydration synthesis
Protein sequence
Definition + function
is the order of amino acids in protein.
* Sequence of AAs determines the chemical property of protein + function of protein
* Folds into a 3D shape - shape is critical for function
* Shape of protein matches the shape of molecules it interacts with
Denature
process in which protein becomes unwound, loses its shape. Can occur when the wrong pH and/or high heat is present.
Protein synthesis
Occurs through a 2 part process
1. Transcription - RNA synthesis 2 (RNA acts as an intermediary)
2. Translation - DNA codes for how and when to make proteins (Proteins do everything in the cell)
Transcription
is the process of turning DNA to RNA (word for word).
1. Small part of DNA molecule is copied to RNA
2. RNA nucleotides brought in to match the ones on DNA
– Happens in the nucleus by proteins (enzymes)
Transcription vs DNA Replication
Transcription is like DNA replication:
* DNA strands separated
* Nucleotides brought in to match with DNA
Ways transcription is different:
* RNA nucleotides present
* Only one strand is copied
* Small part of DNA is copied
* RNA comes off at the end and the DNA comes back together
DNA Replication Steps
- DNA nucleotides added
- Both strands copied
- Whole strand is copied
- 2 new DNA strands made with 1 old and 1 new strand